Counter tray



Aug. 17, 1937. E. BESANCON COUNTER TRAY Filed June 10, '19

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, @MM MW Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNiTED ST'iE ATET QFFICE 3 illaims.

This invention relates in general to a portable tray or server adapted to be attached to the edge of a counter or table and to be used by children and others.

An important object of the invention is in the provision of a tray or server of this kind which may be readily attached to and detached from the edge of a table or counter to provide a support primarily for eating purposes, but also to provide a tray or container in which toys or other articles may be supported and contained close to and within convenient and easy reach of a child, thereby obviating the use of a high-chair in feeding and serving small children at a table or counter.

A further object of the invention is in the provision of a sheet metal tray or server of this kind which is easily and simply made, preferably of a single sheet of material, the portions of which are so out, folded and secured together that they provide a simple, rigid and resilient structure which is attached to a table or counter of the proper size by a resilient lip or flange.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the preferred construction being illus- D trated in the accompanyins drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of the tray as attached to the edge of a counter;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the tray; and

Fig. 3 shows a blank of material from which the tray is made.

In serving small children at a table, but more particularly at a counter such as a lunch or soda fountain counter it is inconvenient either to provide a separate chair, as such counters are usually equipped with fixed chairs or stools, and if a child is seated upon the ordinary stool he is so far removed from the top of the table or counter that it is very difficult for him to reach any food placed thereon, he is likely to fall and drop or spill the food in attempting to eat it.

The present device is therefore provided as a removable tray or server which is quickly applied to or removed from the edge of a counter by means of an extending spring lip which engages over the top of the table or counter holding the tray tightly against the bottom of the extending ledge and in engagement with a strengthening box extension which supports the tray.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, this server comprises a tray 5 having a surrounding flange or rim 6 on three sides with the edges 1 turned over upon themselves to avoid a sharp edge at the top of the rim. As shown this 55 tray and its rim are rectangular but they may be rounded or curved and the rim formed or pressed upwardly at the outer edge in any well known manner.

At the rear of the tray is a re-inforced supporting box which extends under a counter or ledge 5 for spacing the tray downwardly from the top, comprising a back vertical section 8, a top piece 9 and ends ll] preferably bent from the sides of a blank H at the ends of the top portion 9 and the lower edges of these ends H being secured to the 10 upstanding rim at the back of the tray by soldering, spot-welds l2 or other fastening means.

At the front of the re-inforcing box is an upright l3 which may be straight or curved to fit the edge of a table or counter to which it is applied and extending from the top of this upright portion is a spring lip l4 preferably as deep or deeper than the box support at the rear of the tray and having a downwardly turned lip l5 which also frictionally engages the top of a shelf, counter or 0 table to which the server is applied.

This server may be made of separate pieces secured together in any well-known manner; the tray and the supporting box at the back may even be made of non-metallic material, and the spring 5 edge 94 secured thereto; but preferably it is made of a single sheet of metal cut and scored to provide the different portions which when folded and connected by soldering, welding or spot-welding, will produce the tray with the supporting box at 30 the back and with the resilient attaching lip. One of the advantages of making the server of a single sheet of material is to avoid cracks or crevices in which dirt may lodge as one of the principal uses for the server is to hold foodstuffs 35 and it must be kept clean and sanitary for such use. This structure also avoids all adjustable attaching means, it is set readily in place where it is held by its own resilience, and if the back of the box -structure abuts the skirt of a table or the 40 supporting portion of a counter, the tray is held rigidly in place but may easily be removed and simply attached in another location.

I claim:

1. In a portable server, a tray portion having 45 an attached back, top and sides at the rear thereof, the sides being secured to the body of the tray and to the top, and a spring attaching lip including a riser portion extending from the forward edge of the top and bent rearwardly substantially 50 parallel to the top and adapted to engage a projecting ledge for resilient detachable connection therebetween.

2. A server composed of a single sheet of metal having a tray with a supporting structure at the extending upwardly at the rear, a top extending forwardly from the back, ends extending downwardly from the top and secured to the side rims at the rear thereof, a riser at the front of the top,

and a rearwardly extending spring lip at the top 5 of the riser substantially parallel with the said top to grip a supporting ledge therebetween.

EARL BESANCON. 

